


Forgotten

by Chouchousen



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Blood, F/M, Graphic elements, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 14:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19906939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chouchousen/pseuds/Chouchousen
Summary: Missions gone wrong, the future awry. Team Voltron struggles after the sudden loss of their leader, Keith. Now, trying their best to keep it together, they must continue on and save the galaxy. That is, of course, untill they get sidetracked by a weird Galran base that seems to hold answers to questions long past.





	Forgotten

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic I’ve ever posted on here so I’m really nervous, but I hope it’s alright! I’m a slow writer so there isn’t any certainty of this getting schedules or even updates for that matter, sorry ;-;

" Oxygen levels rising "

" Brain activity normal "

" Head and Spine tubes releasing "

" Cryopod opening "

A sharp gasp filled the room, echoing throughout the empty space. Knees wobbling, just barely keeping himself up, a young man found himself alone. Preservation fluid still clinging to his body and dripping down onto the floor beneath him, creating a puddle. His head hung low, weighed down by strained muscles. His ears felt as if they were stuffed with cotton, the world around him muffled. Bones aching, the young man took a few wobbly steps forward before straightening himself out.  
Opening his eyes, the scraggly boy took in a few more gasps of air as he began to look around. Metal walls. Dimmed purple lights. Buzzing machines. A body that felt nothing. All of it felt familiar but unfamiliar at the same time. He didn't know how he was recognizing these things, just that he did. A weird unease filled his stomach, the room around him suddenly feeling tight as his instincts screamed for him to get out of there.

" Hello, 51376 " 

A voice spoke to him. There was no echo, the sound only rattling inside of his brain.

" Welcome to your home, you've been placed in a pod for health and safety. Everything is alright. You should get dressed and then have something to eat. "

The words sounded friendly but the voice was cold. An automated message being repeated only by machine. Despite this he found himself unable not to comply, suddenly taking in the message as if it were his own thought. Walking past a few tables he reached for a white lab coat laying on the ground. It seemed a bit roughed up, frayed in some stitching, but still holding together. With the addition of a pair of baggy black pants, he got himself dressed ( for the most part at least ). 

" Hello, 51376,  
Welcome to your home, you've been placed in a pod for health and safety. Everything is alright. You should go have something to eat. "

The message replayed, blaring out any other thoughts with ease. It was slightly tweaked now, but as soon as he realized he also forgot.

Within a few blinks he was stumbling down an empty corridor. The walls bleak with the same faded purple following him everywhere he went. Using his hand to keep himself stable against a wall, he walked on autopilot, making his way to an unknown room. A few more blinks and he was inside. The whole place felt fuzzy, hard to comprehend, his head throbbed. He couldn't bring himself to take in his surroundings, instead the young man just walked over to the wall where he opened a cabinet.

Food.

The couldn't tell if that thought was his own, he didn't know, but he did know that he was hungry. Despite his mainly painless body, he felt as if a blackhole was sucking in his stomach, bones pressed tight against skin. 

Eat.

So he did.  
He ate every glob of food he could find, stuffing it down his throat without a second thought. His stomach roaring to stop him, halting him for a few moments before making him throw up, but he just kept eating. Thick liquids and flesh-like bits clung to his hands and face. A few tears fell from his eyes as stomach acid burned his lips. He dropped down to the floor, breathing heavily, as he finished his binge. Despite the vomiting, his brain was satisfied making him feel the same.

Check the bridge.

The bridge. He hadn't a clue of what that place could be, but it seemed his body knew. An image flashed through his head but disappeared all the same. Like before, he felt himself go on autopilot, seeing his body move but having no control. It was like he was observing someone else and the lack of feeling didn't make it any better. 

Open terminal.

How did he move places so fast, every time he blinked he must've taken 10 steps. At least he thought he moved places, this room had to have been different from the last but it was hard to tell. Everything felt the same, the lights the same, the walls the same. What was this?

Launch flight pods.

He placed his hands down on a coder, tapping mindlessly as the screen flashed in approval. Just one more code was needed, but a sound stopped him in his tracks.

" Squeak Squeak! "

The noise interrupted his trance. It caused him to whirl around and search for the source. There, behind him, sat four little mice, all varying in sizes. 

Ignore, open terminal, send out flight pods.

The metal voice commanded loudly, he felt as if pressure was suddenly building up behind his eyes. Pain suddenly shocked through the left half of his face making him feel as if his head were about to explode.

Ignore, open terminal, send out flight pods.

It chanted once more, seemingly louder this time. No. No. Why was he doing these things. The pain seeming to shock him into reality as he began fighting against commands. The mice squeaked more, becoming urgent and also much closer. His face suddenly broke into an even worse pain, stinging and burning as he felt something being ripped out if him. He moaned out in pain, the feeling almost unbearable. Then suddenly the tugging stopped.

Orders. He shouldn't be taking orders. That's all that rang through his brain. A heavy metal clang hit the floor he hadn't even known he had fallen down on. Something warm pooled at the side of his face. Then it hit him. Cold metal, stale water, blood, meat, animals, sweets, dust. So many smells filled his nose. So many sights became clear, so many noises began to be heard. So many things began to be felt.   
It was all so much.

Another squeak pulled him out of his frozen state, the re-addition of senses having caused him to go into a small shock. Looking up, just slightly, he saw those same four mice, but this time he was cupping them in his hands. Two of then hopped down and scurried out of the room, a third jumped into his dark mass of hair and the last simply stayed in his hands.  
Looking at it, he again felt a wash of familiarity, similar to that he felt moments upon waking up. He knew these animals and it seemed, with their eagerness, they knew him too.   
The two that scurried off came back with a bundle of thin white cloth, placing it on top of his head. Taking the hint ( from the pain and blood ) the man wrapped the cloth around his bloodied face, securing it tightly over the whole left side. The mice squeaked, pleased with him, then joined the other in his hair. The last one stayed in his palm however, it seemed to almost look him over with judging eyes. 

" You are free. We go where you go "

He wasn't sure how but the mouse spoke, not a movement to it's mouth at all. It's statement was warm and non intrusive unlike the last few he'd received inside his brain. Soon the mouse too scurried up his side, however it stopped just short on his shoulder, looking at him expectantly.   
Lifting himself up slowly, the young man took in a deep breath before slamming his bare foot down onto the metal chunk that was once attached to him. The device shattered, jabbing into his foot. The pain burned and he could smell blood, but he was satisfied. He was free to feel now, free to see and hear. It felt good and he reveled in it. It was time for him to leave whatever kind of hell zone this place was.

Walking down the halls felt much different, his ability to focus on what was truly around him painting a whole new picture. Despite his visual impairment, ( his left eye being damaged from the removal) he felt he could see the whole world so much clearer now.  
Dribbles of blood and preservation fluid marked the places he had been and using that he followed the trail back towards where he started. The room felt different now. He could see plant life as well as rot ripping through the metal walls. This place must've been abandoned, but how was he still there. Had he been left behind? Was he supposed to die? Questions flooded his brain, all building off of each other but nothing came to answer.  
There was a long stretch mirror on one half of the wall. It hadn't occurred to him till now that he hadn't even know what he looked like. Maybe seeing his own face would help jog his memory.  
The man that stared back was thin, but not as boney as he had felt, nothing jutting out but not much extra either. His skin was pale, scared in multiple places along his chest, arms, and legs. His ears were lightly pointed and he had prominent facial marring. The two most apparent things, however, were his hair and eyes. Golden yellow sclera, dark purple irises, he would've said they were glowing if he knew any better. His hair, a jet black, poured over his shoulders and down to his knees. It was matted, clumped together in some parts due to excess fluid and blood. Black hair...yellow eyes... a memory flashed through his head. A large purple beast like creature with those same eyes and a man just slightly smaller than him with that same hair. They fought, both clashing hard against the others attacks. Despite the black haired boys size he kept up the battle, not backing down. He wore a purple suit similar to the dimmed lights of this place. The memory suddenly stopped. He wasn't sure what to make of it, who were those people? Had he met them? He didn't know, his own face a stranger to him, bringing a sense of emptiness.

" Who- "

His own voice shocked him, it was strained and dry causing him to cough just slightly.

" You are Red "

The mouse on his shoulder spoke once again. Red. Was that his name? Nothing in him opposed, it felt right, like he had owned it for all his life. He was Red, he IS Red. The young man had identified himself.

Red needed a bit more to cover up, his skin prickling at the cold air. He peeked around the room before finding a dark grey shirt to put underneath his coat. No shoes could be found so he'd simply have to make do without them. Giving himself one last glance in the mirror, Red left his starting place once more, this time going to an area where light shined bright. Down a corridor to his right a hole had been ripped through the metal walls, letting pour in a golden shine that stung his eyes. He pressed forward regardless, dragging himself through the hole and out of the dark purple.

~

Running checks on, now, Galra freed planets was a common place, so visiting Vache was no different than the rest of the phoebes Allura had been spending. Vache was a lovely planet, rich with nature and wildlife. The Covyse were a friendly but less advanced people, living in tribes and having never even known other life was out there in space, so when the Galra came to their land they hadn't a clue of what to do. So much new technology was introduced and built that the Covyse had never seen the likes of before. To them it was fascinating but terrifying all the same. Over time a new people were formed, the Galvyse, who adapted to their ' visitors ' and even began to partake in their culture. These people were rough and kept contact with the empire through trade even after liberation. They were hard to control yet also seemed not to pose an immediate threat to Voltron. Despite working with the Galra, not a soul had spoken of their arrival, once receiving resources from the group they just let them be. It seemed their only focus was economy and trade, while their counterparts, the Covyse, focused on tradition and survival. This difference in mindset had put the two sides into tension with the Galvyse refusing to help the Covyse in any way, despite their abundance of resources, and the Covyse shaming and attacking the Galvyse when they tried to enter their land. That whole situation was why Allura found herself here now, collecting random chunks of metal, berries, and the likes for the Covyse.

A recent Galvyse raid left the other side in need. Left over resources, communicators, and tech could be found in large Galran facilities that had long since been abandoned. They were lucky this building was set on Covyse land, letting them have free roam, most weren't. Walking through the ugly dark metal building sent a chill up Allura's spine. Too many times had she been in these same halls, too many times had horrible things happened, those cold purple lights feeling like screams in her mind.  
It was just a year ago when they had lost their young leader Keith. A battle against the Galra was always hard but their ability to pull through with Voltron was almost inevitable, that day though it seemed their luck had run dry. Gone in an instant, his paladin helmet shown off as a symbol of the empire's victory.   
The simple thought of the past was too much to bare for her, it hurt to know there was nothing anyone could have done. Everyone had wished things were different, herself included, but their black paladin was gone, his bloodied broken helmet told all of their failure.

Followed by Covyse warriors, Sabe and Lif, Allura forced herself to focus. She couldn't let the past slow her down, not again.   
Besides the people of Vache were happy with Voltron's arrival, she should take joy in theirs.   
Sabe and Lif were jittering with energy behind her, this was their first time ever even being in the bases the Galra had built on their homeland. Having stuck to tradition they grew up in the major forests with the rest of the Covyse so this was truly something. The place was overrun with lush plant life due to how quickly it all grew, toppling over tech and destroying all that was untamed. Allura found herself smile lightly at the people, despite the horrible things that took place they were happy. Happy to be alive at all.

Allura felt a slight movement in her hair, her little mice had began to react to something. They sniffed the air and squeaked, all four taking off suddenly before she had the chance to react. Sabe and Lif jumped at the sight of the mice, following after them, immediately making Allura rush into hot pursuit herself. " Wait! Hold on! Don't hurt them! " she was half yelling at the mice and half at the Covyse as she sprinted after both of them. Luckily Covyse could not run for very long, being only capable of sprinting, letting her catch up to them quickly. Rounding one last corner she met with Sabe and Lif, the first peeking through a crack in the metal floor. Sabe wiggled their finger inside of the hole as if trying to fish out the mice, their tail twisting behind them. The mice...they seemed to have found something. A hidden area was of great importance to know about and if they hadn't run off so fast she would've praised them for their finding.   
" Can you see anything in their, Sabe? " Allura asked, speaking slowly so the Covyse could understand her better. " More walls, just like here, smell strong though. " oh, that was interesting? What exactly was wrong with that part in particular? " What is the smell of, Sabe? ", " fake gel, gel you and others use when hurt, but.....older, dusty ". A medical ward possibly, a well hidden one if it weren't for the torn metal and her sneaky mice. 

Pulling out her com, Allura called to the rest of Voltron. 

" Allura here, me, Sabe, and Lif have found another space in this facility. It seems to be a hidden ward of some kind, however there looks to be no door, just a hole in the ground that is too small for me to fit through. I'll need something capable of cutting through this metal flooring to investigate further. I'll send you all my coordinates "

" Alright Princess, stay on guard though, we still don't know if there's any Galra left in this place " Shiro responded, his tone sounding flat.

" I've got a good saw that I've been using to pry open sealed doors if that'd do you any good? " Pidge chimed in. " How thick do you think the floor is? "

" A decent inch and a half at the least, would the saw work against that? " 

" Yeah it may, just'll take a bit of time though depending on how much you need to remove and all "

" I'll take what I can get, thank you Pidge "

" No problem Princess, I'll head right over with the charging port too just in case "

The call cut off abruptly, and Allura let out a small breath. Having Shiro respond instantly was not unexpected, but still stressful nonetheless. Since Keith died and Shiro had to take back the role of black paladin, the older man almost felt hostile at times. Wether he realized it or not his tone had gotten harsher, his expectations a bit lower. He still tried his best to be tough, she could tell, but that was his brother he had lost, that was a pain he would likely never let go of. Allura herself knew she wasn't well either. Despite her short comings with Keith she had taken a liking to him, his determination and devotion to his cause being admirable. She still felt guilt over when she shut him out, her actions were wrong but she was just too blinded with fear and anger at the time to realize. She wished she could maybe just maybe go back in time and not done what she did, not treated him the way she did, not isolated him even more than he already was. It was that thought process that made her feel truly guilty for Keith death. Like she drove him to fall into harms way, the thought sickened her, she felt disgusted with herself. But the past was the past, Keith is gone, there is nothing she can fix. But maybe if she just-

" Hey Princess, I'm right outside, let's get that space open " Pidge called, the suddenness startling Allura. " Oh yes of course let me help you i- " the metal wall next to her suddenly began to spark then collapse, scaring Sabe and Lif who then, upon seeing the green paladin, relaxed slightly.   
" So, where's this secret space thingy? " Pidge asked, lifting up the protective goggles from her eyes, her helmet lazily clipped to her belt. " Right down here " Allura said pointing at the small crevice. " Geez how did you even notice this? It's so puny? ", " it wasn't me it was the mice, they seemed to react to something and just scurried off right to here ". Pidge raised an eyebrow to that, " Are they down in there then? " " Yes I believe so, they seemed desperate to get in " confusion bouncing around in Allura's tone. She hadn't known why they'd gone in rather than just shown her the hole, they must've found something of great importance to do that so suddenly. Nonetheless she had a focus, getting this thing open and securing it safely.  
Remembering to other two in the room, Allura turned to face her Covyse companions. " Sabe, Lif, Pidge and I will be investigating this spot further, there may be danger so I ask you go take what you've found back home while we work here. " the two simply nodded, clutching their items tighter before leaving quickly.  
" Not ones of many words are they? " Pidge said, hooking up the saw to a larger power generator she had brought with her. " No, even the Galvyse are quiet too it seems. Maybe speaking just isn't large in their culture? I'll have to see what information I can get on that " Allura always found herself getting more questions than answers on this planet, she wished there was just some giant book on Vache's history, but, unluckily enough, the Covyse had never even documented a single event till the Galra came.   
The saw revved before splitting into the thick metal, sparks shooting out into the air in an almost artsy way. Allura would've sat closer to enjoy it if it weren't for the fact it could catch her on fire. 

Hours pass, the saw nearly forming a large enough space for the two paladins. " This baby needs to recharge, the motor says it's overheating and this metal is thicker than I thought " Pidge turned off the saw, clicking it back into a safety position. Their power generator had run out on this block alone, a statement to how strong the floor was.   
" it's getting rather dark, we should head to the castle then come back tomorrow so the saw can charge " Pidge offered, exhaustion clear on her face. Taking one last look down at their work, Allura sighed. She was incredibly exhausted herself. " The mice still haven't come back have they? " Allura asked, receiving a curious look from the smaller girl. " No, they haven't, I don't see a single one come out. Are they not in your hair? " Allura shook her head, " no, they've been in there this whole time it. "  
" They'll be alright, they get themselves in and out of trouble just fine, you'll find then again by tonight probably. Listen, I want to go rest and this saw isn't gonna work for another few hours so it's not like we can do anything ", Allura sighed, she knew that was true but it didn't stop her hesitation. Eventually, though, she caved, the thought of sleep was too much to ignore. Her mice will be okay, won't they?

~

The next morning started off with a jolt, the Galvyse trying to steal supplies causing a ruckus as usual. It was a far from ideal way to wake up, but she knew she couldn't change that if she tried. Calming both sides down took a solid while, but eventually things relaxed to normal.   
Allura let out a heavy sigh, slumping into her lion's cockpit. " Hey 'Lura, want to go finish up that secret ward thingy? " Pidge's face popped up on screen. She too looked a bit tired but was doing her best to stay neutral as always. " Maybe we should all go investigate it? " Hunk suddenly joined the call, same with Lance and Shiro.   
" We don't know if it's dangerous down there and we've already covered all upper ground so? " " I think we should, Coran can man the castle and contact us if we're needed " Shiro jutted in. " Aye, maybe we can do some team bonding then, right? " Lance sounded hopeful. Despite his usually cheerful demeanor, Shiro's depression was having a toll on him too.   
Allura could remember Lance's face when Keith was declared dead. All the light had left his eyes in that moment, it was something she didn't want to see ever again. Sure him and Keith didn't get along, but she knew they didn't hate each other either. The loss of a rival was the loss of a friend as well.  
But being Lance he had a strange strength to bounce back, it took time but he got passed it and, for the most part, accepted the new future. His sadness was never gone, it was just better dealt with. The same couldn't be said for their leader though, whos negative attitude strained everyone else's recovery.   
" Yeah, bonding! " Hearing Hunk's voice brought Allura back into the moment. " I'll send you guys all the coordinates and we can meet there " " I'll comm Coran " " see you there ".  
She'd be lying if she said she was hoping to explore the ward alone, or at the very least just with Pidge. Allura never got any time to herself nowadays, it would be nice to have a little bit of space. No matter, this was simply another thing she couldn't change.  
Not having the mice scurry around the blue lion was odd, their presence was the only one's she could find herself standing at times like these. She hoped they were all okay, it was unusual that they hadn't come back, but maybe they were waiting for her? Only time would tell.

And time did tell. The mice were still nowhere to be seen. With the rest of the team huddled around Pidge, who was finishing up the hole, Allura took a moment to stand off to the side by herself. Who knew what was down there, hopefully nothing life threatening, but with their luck there was no way to tell.  
When the last clink was heard and the metal chunk fell down to the ground below, everyone hopped in, taking out their flashlights and bayards.   
A " whoa " from Hunk echoed through the dark space. It was similar to other Galra buildings they had been in, but it seemed this planets nature had ripped it open even worse than the upper ground. Screens lay shattered, pods destroyed entirely, weapons with no charge laying around. It looked as if the place had been abandoned in a frenzy. Maybe so, considering that Voltron had came to rid Vache so suddenly, but it looked as if this happened way before they even arrived.   
Their steps throughout the building were loud, glass crunching under their feet with every step. Behind her, Allura heard Lance grunt. " Ew, I think I just stepped in some space goo or something " the boy kicked his foot around, trying to get the liquid off. Shiro pulled his flashlight around the see what it was he had stepped in. At the sight they all stopped cold.  
Red blood, in puddles all around the ground, it was fresh too.   
" Ah, shit! " Lance said stepping back a little before accidentally falling into a stand. Suddenly lights shot up around the room, illuminating the area. 

" Hello, welcome to system Hybrid. Please enter authorization key "

Everyone looked at each other hesitantly. " What the- " before Hunk could finish his sentence, Pidge pushed forward. Jabbing at the key pad and tearing it open. After a few seconds of rewiring the system spoke again. Everyone looked at her appalled, but she just shrugged. " Galra tech is all the same. "

" Welcome back [ REDACTED ]. Before continuing, system Hybrid needs to run a diagnostic. Please spare us a moment as we make sure everything is alright.

The choice of speech felt so un-Galran, it's friendly tone and nature almost making it creepier than it would've been otherwise. Before anyone could say or do anything a bright red light turned on some of the cracked screens. 

" WARNING, system Hybrid down. Patients missing, new cryopod opened at time 4:55:62 without permission or nurse presence. System has been breached, patient 51376 missing, locater has been destroyed. WARNING, system Hybrid down. Patie- "

The machine repeated its statement over and over, a light beeping noise playing behind it. " Uh guys, that can't be good can it? " Hunk said, his face worried and anxious. " No. Someone else is in here, but they must be injured " Shiro stated " they could be hostile though, let's stay on guard ". The rest of the team quietly grunted in approval, all seeming stunned at how fast things were happening.   
" System, uhh, Hybrid, can you locate that patient? " 

" Heat signature is gone, patient has escaped "

" Well this just keeps getting better doesn't it " Pidge said with a sigh. " Hybrid, give me info on the lost patient " 

" Patient 51376 escaped at time 5:01:08, room number 88B. Patient is known for violent behavior and aggression. Procedure ML26 was used however patient stayed violent. It is under important protocol that 51376 is recaptured and put into their pod. "

Simply the mention of violence put everyone on edge. An unknown Galra ( experiment? Soldier? ) was on the loose now and nothing good could come from it. " Listen, Pidge and Hunk, you guys extract what info you can from this system. Lance, Allura, and I will go investigate room 88B. " there was no room for debate in Shiro's words making everyone simply nod and go onto their task without another word.  
" Let's go, this place may be a bit different than most of the Galra bases we've been to, but they usually keep their numbering systems the exact same " " I can't decide if I want that patient to be or not to be still in this building " Lance said sighing, a nervous look overtaking his face. 

Getting to room 88B went by fast, the numbering was almost exactly as Shiro said. There was no door to open, just a gape where it would've been. Taking one step in the room turned all the lights on, some flickering, letting them get a good look inside.  
There sat an open cryopod as expected, preservation fluid pouring out slightly from the sides. Foot prints made out of the, now, gooish liquid were splattered across the floor. They were smaller than an average Galra's, meaning whatever this patient was was not Galra ( or not full blooded at least ). The prints trailed out of the room to an alternate door on the other side.  
Shiro walked on without a second thought, following the trail, Lance however stopped to looked at Allura. Meeting his eyes, Allura shrugged, her gesture calm but her demeanor tense.  
The footprints led them to a room that looked even more ravaged than the last. Doors flung open, tables flipped, it seemed like every piece of glass in the room was also shattered. Their trail stopped in front of a rancid mess. Vomit, it was more than safe to assume that's exactly what was in front of them. The stench was so acidic Lance wretched almost instantly. Shiro, saving face, looked back to his two companions. " They were definitely here ", " No shit, Shiro, this place smells worse than an abandoned farm ", Lance's face was scrunched up and he had backed off slightly towards the door. " Welp, we determined he's not in this room so can we PLEASE go somewhere else ", Allura nodded, despite how annoying his whining sounded, she had to agree with Lance on leaving this room. " The trail stops us here, where else should we look? " Shiro said flatly, one could say he was almost talking down to the two teens. " Oh, umm well- look! " Allura pointed out to the floor. " The footprints dry off but the blood trail continues " and so it did. Turning back into the hallway they came from the small blood smattering went on. Wasting no time ( especially for getting away from that stench ) they took off once more.   
Their new, smaller, trail brought them to what looked to be a control centre. And, well, the scene there almost felt worse than the last. A massive puddle of blood covered the floor and behind that a system machine that was just one code away from detonating the whole building. It shook Allura to her core, the carnage and the bombs. She felt more and more worried by the second, not just for her mice but for the Covyse. Who knew how many more of these bases could be anywhere, how many more with explosives to destroy the whole place.   
She did her best not to gasp as she saw something mixed in with the blood. Wearily stepping forward, not even hearing Shiro and Lance telling her to stop, she went to get a closer look. To those unfamiliar this chunk of metal would've looked like nothing more than shrapnel, but Allura knew it was far more. It was a broken brain Lott, a machine made to manipulate thoughts and mind, posing as one's own subconscious. They weren't always the most effective, but they could cause serious brain damage if not obeyed or improperly removed.   
She hadn't thought they had survived those 10,000 years but it seems she was wrong, either someone made a perfect copy or they hadn't all been destroyed like they were said to. She clenched her teeth at the sight of such a heinous invention.

" Allura! "

Shiro's voice brought her out of her thoughts. Not even realizing she picked the Lott up, she let it clatter out of her hands back into the bloody puddle. Lance looked at her nervously while Shiro just seemed stern if not confused.

" Ah, I must apologize, it's just... this thing, it's of horrible nature... and, well, by the looks of it, whoever we're searching for ripped it off. "

She did her best not to waver her voice with any anger or sadness, but it still took her time to find her words. 

" Well, does that mean anything for us? "

Lance asked, almost innocently.

" It means our target is most likely not a solider or loyal to the Galra "

" Oh! Well that's a good thing then! We can always use some anti-Galra buddies, right? "

" Lance, just because they don't like the Galra doesn't mean they're gonna work with us. If they were experimented on they're probably terrified of everything, knowing how the empire treats their prisoners " 

Shiro's tone was dark, it was no secret that he had been in their captivity once. If anyone knew about being their prisoner it was Shiro. At his voice Lance shrunk, his moment of hope quickly over.   
Allura felt bad for Lance, his attempts at raising the mood almost always got shot down nowadays. She did her best to refocus on their goal. Find the, now, prisoner and stop them from attacking any of the Covyse. She repeated that thought in her mind till it attached itself like glue.  
Observing beyond the bloody Lott, she could plainly see new footsteps of the same size as the last ones, these being created by blood rather than preservation fluid. They lead down a long dented hall just right of their current space. Beckoning Lance and Shiro to follow, Allura began to walk towards the trail.   
The hallway seemed almost endless, screens covered the walls in a perfect line, all placed to fit like a continuous pattern. But those weren't what Allura was focused on. No, she was focused on the giant gaping hole in the roof right where the hallway ended. Sunshine burned through into the empty space, illuminating it with a golden sheen. The blood wiped on the walls told the team of three just enough. Their target had definitely escaped.

~

" Now listen if all this information is true than this dude is a victim just like the rest of us. Maybe we can meet him in calm and just make sure he lays off the locals? " 

Hunk's hopeful suggestion was sweet, but even he seemed to doubt the statement. Since receiving a small bit more info from Pidge's system raid, team Voltron had met up to decide what was the best way to catch this hybrid.   
Being prone to violent mood swings, having more than a dozen causalities associated with him, a mysterious unknown other half, and god knows what else sure made him much scarier than even the blood they saw. Blood could've just been personal injury, but casualties speak for themselves. 

" That's not looking like an option, buddy. I say we search him out and snatch him in a net! "

Lance offered out, only to be met with four blank stares.

" What? Doesn't that just seem like the obvious course of action? "

" What would we do after we ' got him in a net ', Lance? Since you're so all-knowing "

He sat and pondered for a moment at Pidge's jutting in before heaving out a defeated sigh. 

" Alright, that's it, I'm out of ideas "

He sighed and grumbled to himself, sitting down and leaning far back onto one of the beat up chairs in the control room. 

" We have to do something though, sitting here and chatting isn't going to get us anywhere closer to the guy. Every second we're sitting here is an extra moment for him to get away "

Allura wished Shiro was wrong but she knew better than to think that. He was right, they were wasting time just sitting here. They had to actually do something beyond chatting.

" Pidge, could you maybe get samples of the blood stains and see if it matches up to any missing persons? And Hunk, check to see if this system has trackers, it'd be a surprise if the Galra had it everywhere but here for their prisoners. Sh- "

" We'll split up in our search, Hunk keep us posted about trackers and Pidge you too. "

Shiro's interruption felt like it came from a place of frustration. Even if he had nothing more to add than what Allura had already planned fo say, something about it felt rude. 

" Yes, of course "

She did her best not to sound disappointed or bothered, biting her tongue after her short response. ' Whatever, let's just get going. '

~

Lance had chosen the main Covyse towns to do his search and Shiro chose the outlands which left Allura with the Galvyse. The differences between the tribe city and the Galvyse city were astronomical, they didn't even feel like they were on the same planet. Towering skyscrapers, thousands of people bustling about, street markets, deafening noise, and the unmistakable purple of the Galra.   
Allura had found the sight painful at first, but the longer she spent in the city the more she adapted. The lights no longer feeling so harsh, the people bumping into her simply forgotten not even as thoughts in the back of her mind.  
The Galvyse seemed to barely acknowledge her, a few stares but nothing more. Everyone kept to themselves which caused a calm scene in such an overpopulated place, but also meant Allura may not get a lot of information.   
She had tried asking shopkeepers if they had seen anything unusual going about, a person they had maybe never seen before wandering. Some people just stared at her coldly while others laughed before brushing her off. With every person she asked, Allura felt like more hope was diminishing. She had the same amount of information that she stared in this place with, not even a single hint more.   
She sighed and stared up at the city lights. The sun had already started to go down and the skies were turning a dark orange hue. She felt like she had done nothing but chased her own tail.

" Someone's got quite the long face "

Allura startled at the voice, turning quickly to see a small female Galvyse staring at her. The pointed eared woman met her with a smirk and a shake of her head. 

" You've been wandering 'round this place for quite some time now, I've seen it "

The Galvyse's voice was rough but not boastful, unlike the other tones Allura had heard from these people. The curly haired woman turned to stride off for a moment, before facing the altean once more and motioning her to follow. Allura couldn't help but feel suspicious, yet what other option did she have? This was the only person who had spoken actual words to her, unprompted even. She let out a shaky breath before following after the woman. 

Finkle, as the Galvyse woman asked to be called, had brought the two of them into an empty alleyway for their chat.

" Listen 'ere, priss, because I've got a proposition "

Allura could already feel the sketchiness of the situation. She only nodded in response to the small woman who then continued.

" Yer lookin for somebody right? Well aye, have you know I'm looking for somebody too. See where I'm getting at? I'll help you find whoever the fybus you want as long as ya help me out in return. No money, no pikeshit, just a simple trade of needs yeh? "

Finkle stepped into Allura's space, tilting her head upwards to face her look her in the eyes. As four solid black eyes bore into Allura, she pondered Finkle's words. She wasn't a fool, she knew there was most likely more than just casual help involved in this. This was a Galra siding woman, a sharp toothed boundary pushing woman with tattered clothes and a devious smile. You'd have to be blind to not notice the dangers of all this, but even then you'd still feel the Galvyse's threatening aura. This was unsafe, this was a bad idea, this could get her killed. All the risks blared through Allura's mind screaming at her to leave, to ask somebody else.   
An image flashed through her mind, a certain half galra she once knew. She couldn't give up, Keith wouldn't have so why should she. That small thought of him was enough to make her decide.

" I'll do it. "


End file.
